Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management, Second Edition

Informal Modes of Knowledge Acquisition

Though existing research has emphasized the role of formal modes of external learning such as alliances (Contractor and Lorange, 2004; Inkpen, 2002; Mowery, et al., 1996) and acquisitions (Ahuja and Katila, 2001; Ranft and Lord, 2002; Schweizer, 2005), there is also significant evidence that knowledge is transferred across firms by informal means that may often not be easily identifiable and may not be linked to any formal organization level relationship or contract. From Porter’s (1998) description of inter-firm knowledge flows in the Italian ceramic tile industry, to Saxenian’s (1991) rich ethnography of semiconductor engineers sharing knowledge in Silicon Valley, and Liebeskind et al.’s (1996) description of communities of practice in biotechnology, informal mechanisms of knowledge transfer seem to play an important role in facilitating organizational learning. In her seminal work discussing the ‘invisible college of scientists,’ Diana Crane (1972) recognizes the fact that communities exist across organizations and these communities facilitate knowledge flows between their members. These communities have a strong social dimension (common language and norms) that governs the flow of knowledge between individuals often across firms, universities, and research institutions. These links act as informal bridges across firm and geographic boundaries (Allen and Cohen, 1969). Though the importance of these communities to inter-firm knowledge flows ...